Rugby team make history with National Bowl victory
A VALLEYS rugby squad has made history by winning the National Bowl.
The Cynon Valley Schools under 11s team won the bowl by beating Blaenau Gwent 35-10 at the Newport Dragons’ training ground in Penallta on Tuesday.
And they are history makers – the last time an under 11s Cynon Valley team were in a national final was 40 years ago when British and Irish Lions and current Wasps coach David Young was in the squad. And the group of under 11s went one better than Young’s side, by winning the trophy in a hard fought match.
Former Scarlets outside-half Gareth Bowen, whose son Thomas, 11, is captain of the squad, said: “They have had a very good season and it was a fitting way to reflect the hard work that they have all put in with the historic win.
“They are a great bunch of lads and so it’s very promising indeed.”
The team reached this stage after beating Mynydd Mawr in the Quarter Finals before playing North East Wales in the semis, beating them 4015 in Llanidloes in Powys.
The team then faced up against local rivals Blaenau Gwent in the final.
Gareth, who lives in Mountain Ash, said: “It was a very close first half, and luckily in the second half, we grew in confidence and the Cynon Valley forwards and backs all scored tries across the board.
“It was a brilliant team performance.
“The Blaenau Gwent side were very strong so it took a big defensive effort.
“It was also an emotional day for chairman Brian Hopkins, who has been working with the under 11s for 47 years.”
Following this success, the coaches are trying to keep the group together by playing them in an under 12s team, unlike previous years when there was no squad between the under 11s and 15s.
The National Bowl is the tier below the National Plate and Cup, contested by youth teams across Wales.
Gareth explained: “It’s a great competition because it gives some of the smaller districts like ourselves a good chance to get some silverware.
“In the Cynon Valley, we’ve only got about 20 primary schools, whereas bigger districts like Cardiff have 90 - a huge difference in catchment area.”